Dr. ir. K.C. (Karel) Terwel

Profile

KAREL TERWEL (1975) has shifted his focus between academia and practice during his professional career.

He studied Civil Engineering at Delft University of Technology (DUT) and graduated in 2001. From 2001 until 2007 he worked as a structural designer/ project leader at Zonneveld Engineers on various complex building projects. 
Since 2007 he has been a lecturer (from 2015: assistant professor) focusing on structural design and safety at DUT. He teaches courses in structural design and in forensic engineering.

From 2013 to 2021 Terwel was director of Coenraedt B.V., where he provided consultancy in investigations of structural failures.  

In 2018 Terwel joined IMd consulting engineers in Rotterdam. He is a project leader and consulting engineer for various appealing building projects, like VDMA in Eindhoven and De Fenix in Rotterdam.

Experience

April 2001-november 2007: Structural engineer at Zonneveld Engineers in Rotterdam. Structural coordinator of the design of 2 high rise towers of 146m for the municipality of justice and home affairs in The Hague and of the design of “Het Muziekpaleis” in Utrecht.

November 2007-now: Lecturer and researcher Structural Design and Safety at TU Delft. Currently: Assistant Professor structural design and safety at Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences of TU Delft.

December 2014-2021: founder of Coenraedt B.V., consultancy in investigations of structural failures, second opinions and structural risk management.

2021-now: structural consultant at IMd Raadgevende ingenieurs in Rotterdam. Structural design of various projects like De Fenix in Rotterdam (with MAD architects) and VDMA in Eindhoven (with OMA architects). Furthermore experience with application of donor skeleton (Biopartner 5 in Oegstgeest).

Jubi-towers in The Hague (figure: Prof. Hans Kollhoff Architekten)

Research

Terwel finished his PhD on human and organizational factors influencing structural safety in 2014. Apart from this research, his research interest focuses on causes of structural damage. 
Furthermore, his research interest focuses on sustainable structural design.

  • Design of Structures and Foundations 1+2
  • Building structures 1
  • Forensic Structural Engineering
  • MEGA: Workshop High Rise Buildings
  • Tutor of bachelor and master theses

PhD thesis: “Structural Safety: study into critical factors in the design and construction process” (Delft, 2014).

Terwel, K.C., W.F. Boot and R.M.L. Nelisse. “Structural unsafety revealed by failure databases.” International Journal of Forensic Engineering. ICE, February 2014, London, FE1: 16-26

Terwel, K.C. and S.J.T. Jansen (2015), “Critical factors for structural safety in the design and construction phase.” Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities. ASCE.

Terwel, K.C., Schuurman, M. and Loeve, A. (2018). Improving reliability in forensic engineering: the Delft Approach, International Journal of Forensic Engineering, ICE. Winner of ICE Thomas Telford award.

See repository of TU Delft for other publications.
 

​​​​​​​Terwel is involved in education regarding (sustainable) structural design and forensic engineering. Furthermore, he supervises various PhD, MSc and BSc students in their thesis projects

  • Chair Beleidscommissie Bouw - KIWA
  • Vice chair TG 5.1 Forensic Structural Engineering - IABSE
  • Member committee Circulair bouwen - NEN

Karel Terwel

Assistant Professor

Department:
Materials, Mechanics, Management & Design (3Md)

Section:
Applied Mechanics

Chair:
Structural Design / Building Engineering

Secretary:
Iris Nederhof-van Woggelum

Availability:
Friday

Dr.ing. K.C. Terwel

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